Psoriasis – Frequently Asked Questions

What is psoriasis?

Psoriasis [pronounced sore-EYE-ah-sis] is a chronic (lifelong) disease of the immune system that varies from person to person, both in severity and how it responds to treatments.

Is psoriasis contagious?

Psoriasis is not contagious. It is not something you can “catch” or that others can catch from you. Psoriasis lesions are not infectious.

What causes psoriasis?

While the exact causes of psoriasis have yet to be discovered, we know that the immune system and genetics play major roles in its development. Most researchers agree that the immune system is somehow mistakenly triggered, which speeds up the growth cycle of skin cells among other immune reactions.

How is psoriasis diagnosed?

No special blood tests or diagnostic tools exist to diagnose psoriasis. A dermatologist (doctor who specializes in skin diseases) or other health care provider usually examines the affected skin and determines if it is psoriasis. Sometimes a piece of skin is examined under the microscope.

Is there a cure for psoriasis?

There is no cure, but many different treatments, both topical (on the skin) and systemic (throughout the body), can clear psoriasis for periods of time. People often need to try out different treatments before they find one that works for them.

What treatments are the best for me?

No single psoriasis treatment works for everyone, but something will work for most people. It is hard to predict what will work for a particular individual; however, it is important to be open-minded and willing to work with your doctor to find a treatment that will work for you. Learn more about treatment options for psoriasis.

Erythrodermic [eh-REETH-ro-der-mik], characterized by intense shedding and redness of the skin.

Psoriasis can range from mild to moderate to very severe.

Can psoriasis affect all parts of the body?

Psoriasis most commonly appears on the scalp, knees, elbows and torso. But psoriasis can develop anywhere, including the nails, palms, soles, genitals, and very infrequently on the face. Often the lesions appear symmetrically, which means in the same place on the right and left sides of the body.

Can psoriasis occur at any age?

Yes. Psoriasis often appears between the ages of 15 and 35, but it can develop at any age. Approximately 10 percent to 15 percent of those with psoriasis get it before age 10. Some infants have psoriasis, although this is considered rare.

Is psoriasis more prevalent in men or women, or in different ethnic groups?

Psoriasis occurs nearly equally in men and women. It is also present in all racial groups, but in varying rates. Psoriasis prevalence in African Americans is 1.3 percent compared to 2.5 percent of Caucasians.1

Top 5 Herbs For Gorgeous & Glowing Skin

Everyone wants to achieve glowing, gorgeous and perfect glowing skin. Often we go about it the wrong way and apply harmful chemical laden synthetic beauty products that end up causing more harm than good.

If you want to make a real and lasting change for your skin, opt for natural alternatives such as these magical herbal agents.

1. Chamomile

Chamomile is one of nature’s miracles. It has an incredible number of benefits, and none more so than for our skin. Alpha-bisabolol – a compound found in chamomile – reportedly reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by accelerating the healingprocess of the skin while also possessing anti-irritant and anti-inflammatory properties. Applying a cooled cup of chamomile tea as a face wash or applying the tea bags onto your skin are two of the most effective ways to take advantage of chamomile as a natural skin healer.

2. Witch Hazel

Produced from the leaves and bark of the North American Witch Hazel shrub, millions of people swear by witch hazel for its acne relieving properties. Witch hazel is an anti-inflammatory that helps to reduce inflammation of pimples. It also clears away excess sebum without drying out the skin too much. Witch hazel is also an astringent meaning it helps to tighten skin tissue and can reduce the appearance of dark under eye circles.

3. Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is another of the more popular herbs for treating skin. Applied most commonly as a gel, women use aloe vera gel prior to applying make-up to keep skin moisturized while men often apply to skin after shaving to rehydrate and treat small cuts. Like witch hazel, aloe vera is another important natural remedy in the fight against acne. Its anti-inflammatory properties reduce pimple size while its anti-microbial properties kill bacteria. Rich in vitamin C and E – two of the most important vitamins for our skin – aloe vera is another of nature’s miracles for achieving healthy, gorgeous skin.

4. Calendula

Calendula is a garden plant in the daisy family that, like aloe vera and witch hazel, has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. It is also a vulnerary agent that helps to heal wounds and soothe damaged skin, such as sunburn, cuts and scrapes. Many have also used calendula oil to treat eczema.

5. Lavender

Lavender may be more famous for its relaxing effects of the mind, but it also helps to soothe skin, too. It is rich in a compound called linalool that assists with skin healing while also preventing tissue degeneration keeping skin firm and preventing wrinkles. To make lavender even more of an anti-aging wonder, it encourages the growth of new skin cells due to its cytophylactic properties. Lavender also helps to heal wounds, scar tissue, acne, eczema and problem skin. Being anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-toxic, anti-bacterial and an anti-septic just serves to show how incredible lavender is for skin.

Our skin is the largest organ we possess so looking after it is of the utmost importance. Avoid harmful chemical laden treatments and instead turn to the wonderful herbs Mother Nature has to offer us.

What Benefits Does Kigelia Africana Cream Provide?

Kigelia Africana cream is made from the fruit of the Sausage Tree. Harvested throughout Southern Africa, trees of the kigelia africana and kigelia pinnata species grow a large sausage-appearing fruit that the region’s indigenous people have long used for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. More recently cosmetic researchers have acknowledged the fruit’s skin-enhancing properties through successive clinical trials and have begun including the fruit extract in products. Medical research has also uncovered evidence that kigelia fruit cream may be effective in treating melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.

Kigelia Africana Cream has Antipathogen Properties

Following up on studies that showed the hilt bark of the kigelia africana cream possessed potent antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties, a team of South African researchers conducted a study to see if the kigelia plant extract offered those properties as well. They prepared crude extracts of both stem bark and fruit using distilled water, ethanol or ethyl acetate. Researchers then tested the extracts against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. In a report on their findings in a December issue of the “South African Journal of Botany,” they reported stem bark and fruit extracts showed significant antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral activity against both strains of pathogens. These findings have paved the way for the use of kigelia extract in skin-cleansing agents and other products designed to combat bacterial skin infections.

Kigelia Africana Cream has Facilitates Tight and Firm Skin

A sex-member team of Indian scientists undertook a review of the scientific literature covering studies into kigelia’s medical and cosmetic properties. In their report, published in a 2008 issue of “Natural Product Radiance” — known in 2011 as the “Indian Journal of Natural Products and Resources” — they cited studies that found kigelia’s active ingredients include steroidal saponins and the flavonoids luteolin and quercetin. These phytochemicals help strengthen and stabilize the collagen fibers that support the skin, thus having a firming effect. Some studies found that the extract was particularly effective in firming the skin in and around the breasts. Kigelia seems to encourage the growth of collagen. A lack of collage is what leads to wrinkles in old age.

Kigelia Africana Cream Combats Skin Cancer

Researchers in Southern Ireland conducted an in vivo study to assess the ability of various compounds from the kigelia pinnata fruit to halt the spread of homo sapien skin cancer cells. Part of the incentize for the study was the traditional use of the fruit by folk healers to treat skin cancer and other skin disorders. Scientists isolated several compounds from the kigelia fruit and tested them against melanoma cells in the lab. They found significant anti-cancer properties from a variety of kigelia compounds, including the isocoumarins demethylkigelin and kigelin; oleic and heneicosanoic fatty acids; ferulic acid; and the furonaphthoquinone 2-(1-hydroxyethyl)naphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-dione. In their findings, published in a 2010 issue of “Planta Medica,” researchers noted that the furonaphthoquinone was also effective in vitro against two strains of breast cancer cells.

Kigelia Africana Cream has Other Skin Benefits

In its review of the literature covering kigelia’s cosmeceutical applications, the authors of the 2009 “Natural Product Radiance” article reported kigelia was already widely used as an active ingredient in a variety of cosmetic formulations. These products can give skin a smoother appearance by reducing fine lines and wrinkle depth. They also are believed to promote skin elasticity, naturally lighten pigmentation, reduce blemishes and increase circulation to the skin.

Health Benefits of Tea Tree Essential Oil

The health benefits of Tea Tree Essential Oil can be attributed to its properties as an antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiseptic, antiviral, balsamic, cicatrisant, expectorant, fungicide, insecticide, stimulant and sudorific substance.

Unlike the name suggests, the essential oil of Tea Tree is not extracted from the plant commonly associated with tea as a beverage. Neither is it related to Tea Oil, which is extracted from the seed of the Tea plant. Instead, it is extracted through steam distillation of twigs and leaves of Tea Tree, which has the botanical name Melaleuca Alternifolia. The tea tree is native to Southeast Queensland and New South Wales, in Australia, which is why it is such a common and popular essential oil in that country. However, its impressive qualities have spread to other parts of the world, so it can no be found internationally.

The main constituents of Tea Tree essential oil are Alpha Pinene, Beta Pinene, Sabinene, Myrcene, Alpha Phellandrene, Alpha Terpinene, Limonene, Cineole, Gamma Terpinene, Para Cymene, Terpinolene, Linalool, Terpinenol and Alpha Terpineol. This tree is native to Australia and its oil has been used and known among the original inhabitants of that continent as a cure-all medicine since ancient times.

The reputation as a cure-all given to this oil is not an exaggeration. Tea tree oil can be used as a cure for almost all tropical infections and diseases. You name it and it has some sort of positive effect or treatment for that disease. It is invariably found in almost the households of Australia, particularly those that have small children. The magical healing and disinfectant properties make it a wonder drug that also boosts your immunity. However, it is not meant to be ingested, and is poisonous. It is meant for topical application only!

There is so much more to tea tree essential oil than a boosted immune system and a protective agent for your skin; let’s explore some of those other invaluable health benefits below.

Health Benefits of Tea Tree Essential Oil

Antibacterial: It is said that when Mother Nature creates a diseases, she also creates the cure. The activity of microbes, bacteria, viruses and fungi are at their peak in the Tropics, so most of the medicinal plants to treat those dangerous things are found there too. Tea tree is one such plant. It can cure some of the most horrible and dangerous bacterial infections found in the tropics. Wounds, which are prone to contracting bacterial infections in this region, can be effectively cured and protected using this oil. This oil is seldom taken orally, but if you do, it should be in mild concentrations. It can cure internal bacterial infections such as those in the colon, stomach, intestines, excretory system and urinary system. It can also be used in treatment of tuberculosis.

Balsamic: The essential oil of Tea tree has balsamic properties that generally boost health. It promotes the absorption of nutrients from food and gives protection from diseases as well, meaning that overall it is a positive addition to our lives.

Cicatrisant: The Cicatrisant property of this essential oil makes it heal wounds quickly and protects them from infections. Furthermore, it can help neutralize or diminish the scar marks and after spots left by eruptions, boils, pox, and acne.

Antimicrobial: Microbes don’t stand a chance against this oil, since it is a highly effective antimicrobial substance. It can kill and keep away certain microbes (protozoa) which are responsible for causing severe tropical fevers and malaria.

Antiviral: Viral infections are very hazardous and are frequently recurring, since viruses can survive under very harsh conditions. They can bear unimaginable heat, cold and even poison, because they develop a protective shell called a “Cyst” around them. Some viruses are intelligent enough to develop a new cyst each time they are activated, like the Common Cold Virus, in order to trick our immune system. They never die naturally and can live dormant (neither alive or dead) for hundreds or even thousands of years. They can be killed only if their cyst is ruptured using a particular compound or if they are subjected to extreme heat which is beyond their tolerance. The Tea Tree Oil helps rupture this cyst in some viruses and can give protection against them. It also helps cure viral infections like the common cold, influenza, mumps, measles, and pox.

Expectorant: People who are suffering from cough and cold, congestion, bronchitis and other troubles associated with colds, are sure to get relief using tea tree essential oil. It provides relief from cough, cold, bronchitis and congestion. It can be rubbed on the chest and inhaled while sleeping, or a drop can be placed on the pillow so it can do its magical work at night, and you can wake up feeling much better in the morning.

Hair Care: The stimulant property of tea tree essential oil can be very beneficial for taking care of certain hair conditions. If you suffer from dandruff or hair loss, simply apply a diluted amount of tea tree essential oil to your scalp. The increased blood flow that you experience will help your follicle stay healthy and strengthen the hold on your hair, so you won’t suffer from premature hair loss. Also, since the skin will become healthier, it will be easier to keep moisturized, reducing the amount of dandruff and dry skin!

Insecticide: It is obvious that an essential oil that is so deadly for bacteria and viruses will be effective against insects as well. Tea tree oil is an efficient insect deterrent and insect killer. It does not let parasites and other insects like mosquitoes, fleas, lice, or flies come near someone who has rubbed some of this oil on their body. It kills internal insects and worms too, such as intestinal worms like round worms, tape worms, and hook worms, because it can be absorbed by your body and skin.

Antiseptic: Open wounds are the most susceptible place to infection by bacteria and fungi and may result in sepsis or tetanus. Thus they must be protected well in advance.Tea tree oil can be a wise preventative choice as it is an excellent antiseptic. It can be applied directly on the wounds, boils, sores, cuts or certain eruptions, including insect bites and stings, to protect them from infections. It is as good as any antibiotic, but without any of their adverse side effects.

Stimulant: This essential oil has a stimulating effect on hormone secretions, blood circulation, and most importantly, on the immune system. It boosts immunity and acts as a shield against many different types of infections. That is why it is quite popular in aromatherapy, because not only does it blend well with many other oils, it can also provide you with internal benefits that would otherwise be impossible, since you are not allowed to ingest tea tree essential oil.

Sudorific: Besides infections, another cause of disease is an accumulation of toxins in the body. These toxins are generated by the body itself, formed as a by-product of various reactions, or they get inside the body in some way. Our body has certain mechanisms to eliminate these toxins. One of them is perspiration or sweating, which has the its advantages, including removing toxins, moistening the skin, opening pores on the skin and keeping the body cool. Tea tree essential oil, being a sudorific substance, increases sweating and promotes the removal of toxins like uric acid. It also helps remove excess water and salts from the body, while cleaning the pores. This further prevents the occurrence of acne, for which tea tree essential oil is often recommended.

Fungicide: The Tea Tree Essential Oil is as effective against fungal infections as it is against any bacterial or microbial infections. It inhibits fungal growth and cures diseases like dermatitis and Athlete’s Foot. Although internal fungal infections can be very dangerous, and even deadly, never ingest tea tree oil, even in extremely diluted forms, as it is toxic. Other herbal remedies for fungal infections can be used that are far safer for internal infections.

Other Benefits: Tea tree essential oil can provide relief from muscular pain, aches, and sprains because its strong chemical properties can work as an anti-inflammatory and also encourage blood flow to a specific area (being a stimulant), which speeds up the healing process and increases the rate of new tissue and cellular growth.

A Few Words of Caution: Although there are no inherent risks of topically applying tea tree oil, in some rare cases, people may be overly sensitive to the oil, as a form of a minor allergenic. However, there have been numerous reports of people who accidentally consume tea tree oil, and this should be strictly avoided. The side effects of consuming tea tree essential oil can be quite serious, and they include confusion, hallucinations, drowsiness, coma, unsteadiness, severe rashes, vomiting, diarrhea, general weakness, stomach upset, blood cell abnormalities. This should always be kept away from pets and children.

What Can Kigelia Fruit Extract Do for Your Skin?

Kigelia africana has been cultivated throughout sub-Saharan Africa, trees of the kigelia africana and kigelia pinnata plants yield a large sausage-like fruit that the region’s indigenous peoples have used for medicinal and cosmetic applications since time immemorial. Many cosmetic companies have acknowledged the fruit’s dermis-improving properties through the addition of fruit extract to some of their products. Medical research has also uncovered evidence that kigelia fruit extract may be effective in helping to treat melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.

Kigelia Fruit Extract has Antibacterial Properties

Pursuing up on studies that will showed this stem bark from the kigelia africana pressed strong antibacterial qualities, the team connected with Southern African experts executed a report to discover when the kigelia berries offered these gains as well. Many people well prepared elementary removes connected with the two stem bark along with berries applying distilled normal water, ethanol or ethyl acetate. Research workers after that examined this removes against gram-negative along with gram-positive bacterias. Within a document on the studies inside a 2002 matter from the “South African Log connected with Botany, ” they reported stem bark along with berries removes showed major antibacterial activity against the two strains connected with bacterias. These kinds of studies have provided just how regarding using kigelia remove inside skin-cleansing agents and also other products meant to overcome microbial epidermis microbe infections.

Kigelia Fruit Extract Helps Tighten Skin

A five-member Indian staff of people began a review of your controlled literature spanning reports directly into kigelia’s healing along with cosmeceutical components. Into their record, printed within a the year just gone problem of “Natural Item Radiance” — identified within 2011 because the “Indian Log of Pure Products along with Resources” — that they specified reports which located kigelia’s active ingredients include steroidal saponins plus the flavonoids luteolin along with quercetin. Most of these phytochemicals aid bolster along with stabilize your collagen fibres which service skin, therefore creating a toning influence. Some reports located the remove seemed to be specially successful within toning skin near your chests.

Kigelia Fruit Extract Fights Skin Cancer

Research workers within North Ireland in europe done an within vitro review to be able to assess the potential of varied compounds from your kigelia pinnata fresh fruit to halt your spread regarding human most cancers cellular material. Part of the traction for the review was the original use of your fresh fruit by simply people healers to take care of skin cancer as well as other skin disorders. Scientists isolated numerous compounds from your kigelia fresh fruit in addition to analyzed these individuals next to most cancers cellular material inside research. They discovered major anti-cancer attributes coming from a number of kigelia compounds, such as isocoumarins demethylkigelin in addition to kigelin; oleic in addition to heneicosanoic fat; ferulic p; as well as the furonaphthoquinone 2-(1-hydroxyethyl)naphtho[2, 3-b]furan-4, 9-dione. In their conclusions, published in a 2010 problem regarding “Planta Medica, ” analysts noted how the furonaphthoquinone was likewise useful within vitro next to a pair of pressures regarding busts cancer cellular material.

Kigelia Fruit Extract has Other Benefits Too

With it is writeup on the actual materials addressing kigelia’s cosmeceutical applications, the actual writers in the the year just gone “Natural Solution Radiance” post claimed kigelia had been popular just as one component in a range of aesthetic supplements. They can grant skin a easier visual appeal by means of reducing fine collections and wrinkle depth. In addition they tend to be considered to encourage skin firmness, by natural means lighten skin color, lower spots and boost blood flow towards the skin.